


New Frontiers

by JaybieJarrett



Series: The Unsung Hero Trilogy [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Harry Potter Goes to a Different School, Harry Potter Has Different Friends, Harry Potter Has a Sibling, James Potter Lives, Lily Dates Someone Else, Lily Evans Potter Lives, Lily Potter being a good mum, MACUSA | Magical Congress of the United States of America, No BWL Brother Bashing, No character bashing, Original Wizarding Schools (Harry Potter), Wrong Boy-Who-Lived (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 21:02:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29890512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaybieJarrett/pseuds/JaybieJarrett
Summary: AU WBWL. BOOK 1 OF THE UNSUNG HERO TRILOGY  When James is driven to obsession with training his oldest son and keeping the family shut inside for “protection” , Lily finally decides to take the other kids and leave him for America.  Harry attends an artsy magic school, befriends his new stepsister and plans to be a rockstar when he grows up.  However, the war in England starts making its way to the USA and Harry starts to realize his brother might not be the Boy Who Lived.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Lily Evans Potter/Original Male Character(s)
Series: The Unsung Hero Trilogy [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2198013
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	1. Foreward

Joshua James Potter was a hero, that much is certain.

But he was never actually the Boy Who Lived, destined by prophecy to bring an end to Lord Voldemort. 

There was another hero, one who lived far away from the knowledge of the wizarding world, in order to live life and have a true, unburdened childhood. When our war crossed over to him he worked in the shadows to defeat it, aided by family and friends. 

We all know the story of Joshua Potter but the story of his brother deserves to be told. 

Thank you, for everything you did

-L. Lovegood


	2. Snapshots

_ October 31, 1981 _

The little house in Godric’s Hollow was fairly quiet that night. Martha Abbott, the childminder , was sitting on the sofa in the living room, reading, after having put little Joshua and baby Harry to sleep for the night. James and Lily Potter were out on a date night at the theatre. It had been some time since they chanced a trip out.

Perhaps it was due to the fact that Martha was so absorbed in what she was reading she didn’t hear the click of the door being unlocked from outside. The door creaked open and she finally looked up and grabbed for her wand.

“Mrs. Potter?” Instead of the Potters, a cloaked figure entered brandishing a wand.

“I-I order you to leave, sir” She said, holding out the wand with a shaking hand. The figure’s eyes, gleaming red, narrowed in distaste. 

“ _ Avada Kedavra _ ” A high cold voice said. The green light struck the woman in the heart and she fell down, dead.

The figure moved forward, following the instructions his informant had given him to the children's’ nursery. As he entered the room, he saw that the older of the children was standing up in his crib.

Joshua Potter had dark hair and hazel eyes, the carbon copy of his father. As he saw the figure enter, wand drawn out, his face screwed into a wail. Voldemort held out his wand and pointed it at the child, before he noticed another baby start to rustle. Harry Potter had dark hair as well and was lying right next to Joshua in the same crib. 

‘Convenient’ Voldemort thought. He could kill them both at once. 

He waved his wand and spoke “ _ Avada Kedavra _ ” as the younger child began to cry. The spell hit what seemed to be an invisible barrier around the crib and there was a bright white light as it ricocheted off the barrier and went flying back at the caster

Voldemort screamed for a moment as he saw his own spell turned back at him. There was a sound like a mighty thunderclap and then all was silent.

Voldemort’s spirit, or what was left of it,fled the scene. 

Not long after there would be a ‘pop’ as Sirius Black arrived on the horrible scene. The sight of the dead minder laying on the floor confirmed his worst fear. Voldemort had been here. 

He hurried up the steps to the nursery, cursing Pettigrew’s name all the while. He expected to find two dead children in the crib, but to his surprise, and great relief. He found Joshua standing up in the crib wailing. There was a streak of pure white in his black hair. Next to him was Harry, crying. Sirius rushed over and picked Joshua up comforting the two year old and reaching out a hand trying to comfort Harry as well. 

“Unca Siri?” Joshua mumbed between the tears.

“It’s allright….its’ allright, Joshua.. Uncle Sirius is here” He gently bounced Joshua in his arms as the boy started to calm down. “Let me help your brother now” Sirius set Joshua down and reached in to pick up Harry.

“A bad man came” Joshua said as Sirius rocked Harry. “He went ‘way with a boom” 

Sirius nodded. 

“Did he use magic?” he asked

Joshua nodded. “Green light . The green light made bad man go ‘way”

Sirius sighed with relief. “The bad man’s all gone Joshua.” 

Joshua nodded. “I ‘tected Harry” 

Sirius chuckled. “You certainly did” He looked down to see the blood on Harry’s forehead. “How did you get that, little one?” There was a scar on his forehead. Curious. 

He spent the rest of the night there. When James and Lily showed up, he was the first to greet them with Joshua in his arms. Lily sighed in relief and took Joshua in his arms. She looked at the white streak in his hair. 

“Is this where…?”

Sirius nodded. “I believe so”

“Where’s Harry?” James asked urgently.

“In the crib, asleep. He’s fine...just a scar.” 

Lily held Joshua close rocking him gently as he clung to her, softly repeating “Mummy” 

“How could he find us?” James asked, running hands through his hair. Sirius locked eyes with him and they both repeated the same word contemptuously.

“Wormtail”

“THAT BLOODY TRAITOR!” James roared. 

“James calm down” Lily pleaded, holding Joshua close. 

“How can I calm down, Lils? We trusted the bastard!” James said. “He was like a brother!” 

“James, your children need you” Sirius said. “Let me deal with Pettigrew” 

“Be careful, Sirius,” Lily said. “Promise me you won’t do anything rash.” 

“I’ll try,” Sirius said. He hugged James one last time before he apparated away. 

  
  
  


_ November 2nd, 1981 _

Albus Dumbledore studied the two children. His eye went to Joshua’s streak first. 

“Most unusual” he murmured, “In all my years I have seen nothing like it” 

“So...you don’t know what it means?” Lily asked. She held Harry in her lap. Since the attack she had cleaned up the messy scar on her youngest child’s forehead and then magically hidden it. 

“Does Harry have anything?” Dumbledore asked.

“Oh ...just a scar. I cleaned it up” Lily said. “It must have been from the protective shield collapsing.” Dumbledore nodded.

“You put up a shield?” He asked

“A ward” Lily said. 

Dumbledore nodded. “Well until now there has been nobody to survive a killing curse.” He gave a heavy sigh. “There is no doubt then. Young Joshua survived because, I believe, he is the child the prophecy refers to. Lord Voldemort has marked him.”

“That means….he’s gone though, right?” James asked.

“Alas, no. He is severely weakened. But...he can come back” James made an angry hissing noise and muttered curse words under his breath as Lily held Harry close, silently crying.

“The good news is, it will be many years until he is at enough power to be a threat.” Dumbledore continued. 

“He has many followers.” James said.

“Many of them are in Azkaban” Dumbledore said gently.

“There are still some out there” James said heatedly. “And...until…. Until he’s truly gone…”

“Joshua can be trained-” Dumbledore started.

“Joshua is a  _ child _ , Albus” Lily pleaded. 

“He is also the only hope we have against Lord Voldemort. When the time comes he must be ready.” Dumbledore said. “The Order of the Phoenix will help you prepare him.” 

James nodded while Lily held Harry close, looking over to where Joshua had wandered off to play. She didn’t like it, but Dumbledore was right. The wizarding world depended on a child, her child to save them.

  
  


_ July 31st, 1983 _

The newly three year old Harry Potter waited by the window, face pressed against the pane, for his uncles to arrive. A very pregnant Lily Potter watched, sitting on the couch, amused. Harry had been looking forward to this all day. His birthday party. 

His father, as usual, was out back helping his big brother Joshua with his spellwork. Albus Dumbledore had convinced the Ministry to grant the Potters permission for Joshua to get a wand early. It seemed as long as Harry could remember, his older brother always got special things, and the most attention from their father. Harry didn’t entirely understand all the business about the Boy Who Lived, all he knew was that his brother had somehow managed to stop a very bad wizard from killing them both. That made him special

Harry could understand that, and he tried as much as a young child could, to accept it. But it could be frustrating when his father was always busy. That’s why today was so special. For the most part it was about him. 

“Harry, they’ll be here” His mother said gently coming to pick him up. They watched together until Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus popped into appearance and came up to the door. Lily opened the door holding Harry in her arms.

“Hey birthday boy!” Sirius said joyfully. 

“Uncle Siri!” Harry shouted. Lily chuckled.

“He’s been waiting for you nearly all day,” She said. 

“Oh I bet,” Sirius said. “We’re the ones who let him have all the fun.”

Harry giggled as his mother gave Sirius a frown. “How are you, Lily?” Remus said quickly before Sirius said anything else.

“Oh fine. The twins kicked like mad yesterday.” Lily said. “Sometimes I wonder if they’re going to wait for September.” 

Sirius took Harry from Lily’s arms as they entered the house. “How’s James been”

Lily sighed and looked outside. “The usual. I had hoped that…” She trailed off. She had hoped that James would be more attentive , with her having children and all. She could tell Harry hungered for his father’s attention and feared that if things kept going the way they were that resentment would drive the boys apart. 

“He’ll come around,” Sirius said encouragingly. “He’s always been crazy about you”

“I certainly hope so.” 

They sat and talked in the living room for what felt like far more than an hour before James and Joshua came in. 

Lily regarded him coolly making sure he knew that she wasn’t happy about him breaking his promise. They gathered for cake and for a short time Harry was the center of attention as he blew out his candles and they enjoyed cake.

But not too long after Joshua was enamoring Sirius and Remus while Harry played with his gifts. 

Lily and James argued in the corner. 

He should have known that happiness couldn’t last that long.

  
  
  


_ September 20th, 1983 _

Sirius and Remus waited with Harry, while they both exchanged nervous glances. Both of them wanted to be in there with Lily, but she had insisted that James would be there with her and someone needed to watch Harry. 

Harry was anxious without his mother, constantly asking if she was alright. 

“She’ll be fine, Harry” Remus assured. “The healers know what they’re doing”

Harry pouted. “Where’s Daddy?” 

Sirius and Remus struggled to respond. The truth was James was supposed to be here by now. He had assured them that the Ministry meeting wouldn’t be long. But it had been hours and Lily was having the babies. 

“He’s….he’ll be here” 

Another two hours passed before they heard footsteps down the hall and James showed up looking panicked with Joshua at his side. 

“Daddy!” Harry called out, rushing over.    
  
“Where have you been, mate?” Sirius asked.

“The meeting ran long.” James picked up Harry. 

“That’s your excuse?” Remus said indignantly “Your wife is having children!” 

“It was super important,” Joshua piped up. “We saw the Minister and-”

“Not now” James snapped. Joshua looked indignant at being interrupted but withered when he saw his father’s stern look

He set Harry down and hurried into the hospital room. When he got in he flinched, seeing Lily’s glare as she held a small bundle. Another Healer approached him holding the other bundle. 

“Congratulations, Mr. Potter, You have two healthy young daughters” the Healer said. James took his daughter gently and approached Lily. 

“I’m so sorry dear-”

“I certainly hope so!” Lily snapped “we’ll talk later”

“Right...d-did you have any names in mind” He asked. He had hoped to get a shot at choosing names, but with how badly he had messed things up, letting Lily choose was the least he could do to make things up.

“I do,” Lily said. She rocked the baby in her arms. “Holly Heather, and the one you’re holding is Hazel….” Lily paused thinking. “That’s as far as I’d gotten…”

“How about Hazel Lily?” James said tentatively. 

“.....fine. But don’t think this means I’ve forgotten” She said. James nodded and looked down to the child in his hands. A beautiful daughter looked up at him, with Lily’s eyes, deepening the guilt in his gut. But it wasn’t like it was for nothing. He was going to make this a world his children could live in without fear. 

  
  
  
  


_ May 21st , 1986 _

Lily returned to the house, feeling more torn than ever. She had just gotten back from seeing her mother and father for the first time in ages. Petunia hadn’t bothered to show even though Lily had begged her to come. Still she had managed to make her mother’s birthday special. It had been a short time since her father died. And naturally the conversation had turned to James and how her mother thought he was going too far.

As she entered the house, she saw Sirius sleeping with Holly laying on his stomach while Remus entertained Hazel and Harry with magic. 

“ _ Where have you been, Lily? _ ” She turned to see James standing there, arms crossed.

“To see my mother” Lily said, astonished. 

“To see your- Lily you know the rules,” James started.

“The rules? James I was visiting my  _ mother _ on her  _ birthday _ ” She said. 

“James-” Remus looked up. 

“You’re painting a target on her house, Lily. Don’t forget there’s still Death Eaters out there” James said. 

“So I can’t visit my own mother?” Lily asked furiously. “James, I understand -” 

“You clearly don't,” James fired back. “With our son being known as the one who stopped- stopped you-know-who, everyone knows us” 

“Are you suggesting that I can’t leave the house to visit my own mother?” Lily asked, aghast.

“I’m saying you should be more careful,” James said, running his hands in his messy black hair in agitation. “ You can’t just go out on a lark and-”

“It was her birthday,” Lily said. She walked over to sooth the now crying children. Sirius woke up and looked between them

“What happened?” He murmured sleepily. 

“Nothing,” James said, stalking off to the backyard. 

Lily stared after him. “Unbelievable” She noticed Remus and Sirius looking between them uneasily. “And thanks for the support” she sniped at them. Her mother’s words rang in her mind. “He’s becoming controlling, Lily.’ Lily had defended James to her mother, and this was the thanks she got? 

  
  


_ October 14th, 1987 _

Harry pressed the pillow over his head, his eyes still wet from crying. The sounds of his parents’ arguing carried up to the room. His parents fighting was near constant now. That is when his dad was even around. It seemed like his father was always gone, and when he was around, he and Mum were arguing. 

Harry pulled himself up and pounded a fist into his pillow. Stupid Dad, always away , always making things worse for his mother. 

As much as he hated to admit it, Uncle Sirius didn’t make things any better by always taking Dad’s side. Uncle Remus was quiet trying not to get involved. 

He heard a door slam. 

“Harry!” 

Harry sighed and got out of bed. Joshua stood in the hallway glaring down at Holly crying. 

“What did you do to her, Josh?” Harry asked, glaring at his older brother. 

“Nothing! I just told her to get out of my room” Joshua said. Harry walked over and picked Holly up gently trying to sooth her. 

“You could be a little nicer,” Harry said. 

“You know I’m busy,” Joshua said. “Important things, you wouldn’t understand”   


“Isn’t it always?” Harry grumbled carrying Holly to his room. He slammed the door shut and set Holly down on the carpet handing her a toy. He sat on his bed watching her nibble the toy still teary eyed as doors slammed downstairs. He wondered what his family had ever done to deserve some evil wizard attacking them, targeting his brother. 

What was so special about Joshua anyway? Harry rubbed his forehead, a bit of a tic he’d developed. His mother always used magic to hide a scar he had gotten from the night they’d been attacked. Most ordinary scars could be easily taken care of by magic, but this one was strangely persistent. Maybe if he had been attacked like Josh, his father might actually care about him and he’d be allowed special things like getting a wand before he turned eleven. Maybe his parents wouldn’t fight so much if they hadn’t been attacked at all. He laid back in his bed idly contemplating a life where the infamous attack never happened and his family was happy and unburdened. 

Things didn’t get better after that.


	3. Breaking Away

Albus Dumbledore couldn’t help feeling a bit guilty as he looked at the two parties before him. Lily dressed nicely standing to one side all alone, with James , Sirius and Remus standing to the other. In front of him were the divorce papers. Perhaps on some level this was his fault. James and Lily Potter had once been so in love, and it was because of the strife caused by war and the pressure of raising the boy meant to stop Voldemort that they were broken apart. James’ obsession and paranoia had got the better of him, making him controlling of his family and constantly on guard. 

He set the quill pen down before him as Lily, with an unreadable expression, picked it up and signed her name. Sirius and James glowered at her as James walked forward and picked up the pen, signing his name. The two names glowed as the magic of the contract took effect. 

With a heavy sigh Dumbledore spoke. “I pronounce you both, unbonded” 

“Thank you for doing this, Albus,” Lily said. 

“You’re going to regret this, Lily,” James started, “I swear it you’re-

“ _James_!” Albus said, with sternness in his voice. Lily turned and left without a word to him. 

“She’s taking my kids away from me, Dumbledore” James seethed once she was gone. 

“Don’t make it worse, James” Remus said quietly. 

“Who’s side are you on?” James and Sirius glared at him. Remus stared back defiantly. 

“You never paid any attention to her or the others,” He said.

“You know I need to train Joshua-” James started. “He’s going to face Voldemort someday-”

“Did you ever once pay any mind to Harry? Or your daughters?” Remus shot back. 

“I’m doing everything for them!” James said, “So they can live in a safe world!”

“Are you? Are you really? Or are you just doing it for your ego? Your son, the Boy Who Lived-”

“ _ENOUGH!_ ” Albus Dumbledore rumbled silencing them all. There was a silence as the three friends eyed each other. 

“I have to train my son,” James said coolly. “Now that he’s all I have left” 

“And it was by your own doing” Remus said, turning his back to his friend. 

  
  


\----------------

Lily Potter, now Lily Evans returned to her mother’s home, to find her mother and her three children waiting for her expectantly. Her eyes filled with tears as she walked in the door closing it behind her. Years of marriage ended with the signing of a paper. Her mother came forward, hugging her tightly as she cried. Harry lowered his head, holding his two sisters close. It was a somber day, for the rest of the day. Harry did his best to behave and look after his sisters. At one point he stood outside a room listening to his gran talk to his mum. 

“My cousin Marigold lives in the country in the United States. I’ve already sent word to her. She’s-she’s like you, she has..your abilities....She’ll take care of you and the little ones.” 

“Thank you, mum” Lily spoke, her voice thick from crying. 

“It’s no problem. You deserve to live, Lily. You’re doing what's best for your family. I’m so proud of you” Lily sniffled and leaned against her mother, sobbing. 

“They hate me” She sniffled. 

“That’s their loss. You have to look out for Harry and the girls” Her mother said, firmly. Harry heard enough, he returned to the room where he slept, his little heart heavy. 

Later he was pried from his room to have supper. That night his mum sat with him and the girls and told them that in the morning they’d be flying to the United States. 

\-------------

Harry sat next to the window on the plane looking out at the sky, and the ocean below. His mother sat right next to him. The plane was cramped and uncomfortable and the takeoff had made his ears hurt. 

“There’s nothing to look at” He complained, “It's all water.”

“Then why don’t you rest?” His mother said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Or you can read the book-”

“I guess” Harry said, pulling out a chapter book his mother had bought for the trip. 

He read it, not really paying too much attention to the words. Hours passed, and he eventually tried to rest some, but the seats made it rather uncomfortable. When he had finally drifted to sleep for what felt like some time, his mother was gently shaking him awake. 

“We’re approaching now.” 

Harry slowly opened his eyes and looked out the window to see land. _Finally_

It was about an hour or so after that , that an announcement blared and touch-down began. Harry gripped the armchairs tightly as the plane came down to land. 

He waited impatiently until they were able to get off once they had landed. He followed his mother, holding one of his sisters, holding the hand of his other sister. 

As they reached the terminal Harry couldn’t help looking around in slight wonder. True he had despised the idea of America since he learned that they were going there, but still it was a brand new place, after all. And to be entirely honest he had never been out so much in his short life as he had in the past few hours. His mother had told him that once they were in America they could go out and do things like normal people. 

“Hazel, dear, don’t do that in public” Lily told his little sister in a hushed voice as she changed her hair color to a deep brown. Hazel had discovered the ability to change her appearance in toddlerhood, Daddy had said that she was a metamorphagus, and that there hadn’t been one in the Potter family for generations so far as he knew. “There’s muggles everywhere.”

“Sorry Mummy,” Hazel said quietly. 

They stopped at a place in the airport to get lunch, before heading to the baggage claim. As Lily picked up her luggage two men approached in uniform. They showed her a badge. 

“Ma’am, follow us” 

They followed the men to a room, and offered Lily a seat. “We just have a few questions. We’ll need you to show us your forearm, it’s standard procedure.” Lily sighed and rolled up her sleeve. 

“I’m a _muggleborn,_ ” Lily said. 

“Understood. Thank you for cooperating, Ma’am” One of the men said, opening the door. As they left, Harry tugged on his mother’s sleeve.

“Why did you have to show them your arm, Mum?” he asked.

“They had to make sure I wasn’t a bad witch who would do them harm,” Lily said. 

“What does your arm have to do with that?” Harry asked, confused.

“I’ll tell you when you’re older, dear” Lily said. They stopped by a place and Lily told Harry to watch the girls. He sat by his sisters as he watched his mother go up to the desk and talk with a woman there. About an hour and several papers signed later, one of the airport people brought her to a car. 

As they drove Harry asked. “Is this car ours, Mum?” 

“No, dear, it’s a rental.” Lily said. The car ride was fairly long. By nightfall they pulled up to a house in a rural area. There didn’t seem to be neighbors for miles. 

Harry helped his mother unload the car. They approached the front door and Lily knocked on it. In a few moments the door was opened and an old lady in a nightgown answered. 

“Lily” She said in a drawling southern accent. “Why about time you got here, I’ve been expecting you” She opened the door wider, “Come in, come in y'all” Harry dragged a suitcase into the large old fashioned house “How was the flight?” 

“It was long” Harry said. “And boring. Lots of water” The woman chuckled. 

“I expect so,” She said. “And what’s your name, dear?”

“Harry,” He said. His eyes widened as the woman pulled out a wand and waved it moving the suitcase to the side wall. She led them down a hall to some bedrooms already prepared. There wasn’t much more to bring in before his mum tucked Harry and his sisters into bed urging them to get sleep. 

  
  


\-------

  
  


Harry rubbed his eyes as he walked into the main room , Holly and Hazel trailing behind him, yawning sleepily. His mother sat at the bar talking to Great Aunt Marigold with a cup in her hand. She turned around as she heard them come in.

“Good morning. How did you sleep?” 

Harry yawned. “Fine.” 

Great Aunt Marigold moved toward the stove and brought a pan over scooping eggs onto plates. She placed bacon strips and toast on each plate. “I got breakfast for ya’ll” Harry sat down at the bar table

“What do you say?” Lily said

“Thank you, Great Aunt Marigold,” Harry said, starting to eat. As Harry ate he listened to his mother talk about the situation in England. 

“That’s an awful lot to put on a little boy” Aunt Marigold said tutting. “You were right to leave. I’ve seen what happens when men get that way. It’s a dark and dangerous road.” 

“I used to think James would never hurt me” Lily said, “But…..well… fights got nasty”

“That’s right. You got little ones to think about, they don’t need to grow up with all that yelling” 

Harry stayed quiet as they spoke, staring down at his plate. He still remembered the fighting, and the horror of the first time he saw his father lose his temper at his mother. That was when she took them to live with Gran. 

He never wanted to believe his father could do that. But when he saw it happen there was no choice. He slid off his seat and walked back into the room not looking back. Later his mother came in to talk to him, apologizing. 

“Why does Dad hate us?” He asked. 

“Oh Harry, your father doesn’t hate you...he just…”

“He likes Joshua better” Harry said, “Don’t tell me he doesn’t!”

“Joshua...needs a lot of attention,” Lily said. “He needs to be ready”

“Well.” Harry said shortly. “We needed Dad too”

“I know...and...I’m sorry” She said, hugging him again. He leaned against her. “Things will be better here.” 

“I miss home” Harry said, “Before you started fighting” He let his tears fall. 

“Me too, love. Me too” Lily said. 

As days passed, Harry grudgingly got used to things. He enjoyed flying around the backyard on his toy broomstick, something his father never let him do. He celebrated his eighth birthday as the summer drew to a close. 

As August began , Aunt Marigold and his mother started talking about school. Until this point he’d been homeschooled by his mother. 

“I’m really going to go to a muggle school?” Harry asked as they sat at the table for supper. 

“You need to get to know other kids, hon” Aunt Marigold said, “Everyone needs a well rounded education. See that’s what's wrong with how they do things over there. Wizards think they only need magic to survive in life. Magic this and pure blood that. We don’t care about your blood here.” 

Harry mixed his stew with his spoon thinking about it. 

Sometime soon after his mother brought him, in her newly bought car, to the local elementary school to sign him up. As his mother and a teacher walked around he stared at everything around him. They showed him a typical classroom with posters on the walls. 

“What year am I going to be in?” He asked.

“You’ll be in third grade” The teacher said. 

“Grade?” Harry tilted his head.

“It’s what they call years here” Lily told him. 

On the drive home his mother talked to him about rules of secrecy. “You have to control your magic. If you get mad, take deep breaths, and if you get scared just know that the teachers are there to help.” 

“Yes, mum” Harry looked out the window as trees passed. 

He started his first day of school at the end of August. For a moment, when he walked in to see all the other children he started to feel overwhelmed before remembering what his mother said. He took a few deep breaths and went to put his things in his cubby. The day went on fairly well. Though at recess one kid started mocking his accent. He felt blood rushing to his face before there was a scream . A rock went flying towards them. Harry stepped back shaking and took a few deep breaths. 

After recess his teacher took him aside and asked how he was. 

“I-I didn’t mean to!” He said. 

“It wasn’t your fault. It was probably just someone in the bushes “His teacher said.

Right. Muggles. He nodded. “I mean….” Harry stammered “I...didn’t see anyone but… I didn’t throw the rock” 

“Don’t let them get to you”

When he got home Harry confessed the incident to his mother. “I didn’t mean to, I swear,” he said. 

His mother nodded. Sometime in September his mother drove him to a doctor appointment. 

“This is a special kind of doctor. She’s going to help you with your feelings” She said.

“Is she a muggle?” Harry asked.

“No she’s a witch. You can talk to her about magic.” His mother said. The office looked rather ordinary inside, not something he’d expect from a wizarding place. That was the problem with the United States. Everything looked so ordinary. 

A woman greeted him and showed him into her office as his mother waited outside. 

“She’ll come in later” The woman said. She introduced herself as Dr. Watkins. They started talking about Harry’s life with his father and the fighting. Dr. Watkins didn’t show any surprise even when Harry mentioned who his brother was. He just talked about the fighting and how his father paid all his attention to his brother. 

She told him it was okay to be mad about it, and it was okay to cry about it. She didn’t get upset when he cried in front of her. He waited outside the office as Dr. Watkins spoke to his mother. As they drove back home his mother told him he had been brave. 

He continued working on his temper at school and soon kids actually started playing with him. As he kept on going to see Dr. Watkins, they started working on things like controlling his emotions. She told him it was very important for a young wizard.

When November came around he learned about Thanksgiving, and all the kids talked about what their families made for Thanksgiving dinner. 

When Thanksgiving came around, Harry and his mother and Aunt Marigold made food together. On Thanksgiving day a few people came to visit, and Harry learned that there were other wizards and witches in their extended family. He met a few cousins who told him about something called Quadpot. His father had always talked about Quidditch. You would have thought there was no other sport. But in America there were a few more. Quadpot, Flyball, and Hoverskid. Flyball, he learned, was like baseball, with a flying ball-hence the name. It was played in the air. 

Hoverskid was played with hovering shoes, like skates and nets on sticks tossing the ball around to two goal nets on either side. 

Quadpot sounded, to Harry, like a big game of hot potato on brooms with an exploding ball. 

He was shown a hoverboard and saw a kid play with one doing tricks. 

All in all it was a fun afternoon. School resumed afterward. 

Harry was disappointed to learn that it didn’t snow very much in North Carolina. It was just cold. Christmas came and the same relatives visited again. Harry got his own hoverboard, much to his mother’s concern. She gave him a helmet and told him he had to wear it when he used the hoverboard. 

His only disappointment was the lack of presents from his father and uncles. His mother told him, as she tucked him in that they needed time. 

But privately Harry felt like his father, and his uncles had just stopped loving him. And if that was how it was going to be, he was going to stop thinking about them right back. 

It was hard at first to stop thinking about his father, and about Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus. He still sometimes wanted to cry. He envied his little sisters who seemed to forget them much easier. They adjusted so quickly. But he was their big brother and he wouldn’t be like Joshua. He would protect them like his mother wanted him to. 

The year 1989 came. On Easter he and his sisters experienced their first Easter egg hunt with the family. Hundreds of plastic eggs hidden all over Auntie Marigold’s vast backyard filled with wizarding candies that Harry had only just learned about. After the hunt adults cooked food while Harry and all the other children opened their eggs, taking inventory of their haul and trading candies, before going outside and having Moon Bean jumping contests until they were called in for dinner. 

Near the end of the year there was a field trip to the zoo, and Harry was excited to have his mother come along to chaperone. Harry found himself transfixed at the snake exhibit.

Most everyone had walked away while Harry stood watching the snakes. One of them looked up to him and to his shock- nodded! 

“ _Hello young one Are you a speaker?_ ” Looking into the snake's eyes Harry nodded and responded. 

“ _Did you just talk?_ ”

The snake turned to the others.

“ _He is a speaker!_ ” The other snakes crowded up to the glass and there were so many voices. Before Harry could respond to any of them his mother pulled him away by the arm.

“What are you doing?” She asked, looking scared for some reason.

“The snakes are talking to me, Mum!” Harry said .

However his mother didn’t seem pleased and immediately took him home. He stayed in his room for a bit, confused as to why his mother was so upset. Sometime later his mum peeked in.

“I’m sorry Mum” his eyes filled up with tears.

“No, love, I’m sorry” She walked over and sat next to him. “I shouldn’t have reacted that way, especially when you didn’t understand”

“Why did it make you upset, was it bad?” Harry asked looking up at his mother. She sighed.   
  
“It’s called Parseltongue and well where we came from it was heavily associated with...with You-Know -Who and Slytherin. Many people believed Parseltongue to be a sign of evil” Lily explained. 

“....does that mean I’m evil?” Harry asked.

“No you’re not. It’s superstition. Parseltongue isn’t any more evil than any other ability.” She held him close. “So I’m sorry I overreacted. But please. In the future try to use a little more discretion about it” 

Harry nodded. “I will” 

When he came back to school Harry had a lot of damage control, telling everyone he only thought he heard voices. 

He was taken aside by the school counselor and asked a bunch of questions about hearing voices. After that he was very careful about who he let hear about his special abilities. 

School came to an end soon after. The summer was filled with house hunting, often traveling a ways away from Auntie Marigold’s house. At the end of summer was Harry’s ninth birthday. Shortly after, Auntie Marigold started giving him lessons on the violin she owned. 

“Picking up an instrument is good for him.” She told Lily. 

Harry began fourth grade, and was proud to have the responsibility to walk his little sisters to their kindergarten class. As they walked he gave them a talk about the importance of keeping their magic hidden. 

“That means no changing your hair, Hazel” He said, as her hair turned back to its normal shade of red. 

“You’re lucky nobody saw that,” Holly said quietly. He walked them up to the classroom politely greeting the teacher before heading to his own class, swelling with pride at being a good big brother. 

“Harry what took you so long?” Brooke Bergman asked. He sighed. Brooke had been in his third grade class as well. She was so _bossy_!

“I had to take my sisters to their class,” He said, putting his bookbag in his cubby with his lunchbox. 

“That’s very nice of you, Harry,” Mrs Cooper said. 

“I’m a big brother, it's my job” Harry said. He went to his seat to sit down as the lesson began. Once school was over he met Holly and Hazel in front of the school It was going to be their first time taking the bus. He looked up as he saw Holly running to him with Hazel trailing behind rubbing her eyes. She looked like she’d been crying.

“What’s wrong?” Harry asked. 

Holly panted for breath. “The big kids were picking on her” 

“What big kids?”

“The fifth graders,” Holly said. Harry led them onto the bus as Holly told her more about it. “She scraped her knee and they started calling her a crybaby. I threw rocks at them” Holly said.

“....Holly…” Harry sighed. “You can get in trouble for that”

“I don’t care!” Holly said indignantly. 

“I’ll talk to them tomorrow,” Harry said. “Don’t throw rocks anymore Holly” The dark haired young girl pouted. 

“Fffffiiiiiiine” she said.

Their mother also had a stern talk with Holly about throwing rocks and sent her to bed early. The next day Harry waited patiently until recess before approaching some troublesome looking fifth graders at the edge of the playground.

“What do you want, four-eyes?” One said. 

“Why are you picking on kindergartners?” Harry asked evenly.

“Who said we were?” 

“My younger sister came home crying yesterday.” Harry said. “She said you called her a crybaby. She’s hardly six _years old_.”

“Yeah so?” Harry groaned inwardly. So this was how it was going to be. He picked up a rock and with a bit of focus levitated it in his hand. They stared at him

“How you doin’ that?” 

Harry grinned. “Magic.” A fifth grader narrowed his eyes.

“Don’t bullshit us. How are you doing that?” 

“I’m not,” Harry said, stretching his arm and sending the rock flying toward them. “I’m a wizard and if you don’t leave Holly and Hazel Evans alone you’ll get much more than rocks thrown at you. Understand?”

They all nodded, stunned. Harry smiled.   
  
“I’m glad we understand each other” He walked away. He hated to break his word to his mother, but it was the only way he knew he could get their attention. 

“Hey! Wizard boy!” One called. He turned around.

“Can-..c-can your sisters do that?” He thought for a moment. “Maybe. Eventually. And you aren’t going to tell anyone else are you?”

They seemed to be thinking it over. Harry noticed something moving. A snake. He whispered a command to the snake and it slithered towards them hissing. 

“N-no...w-we won’t” They said. Harry nodded. 

“Good. Nice talk” He returned to the fourth graders’ part of the playground as his class was lining up to go back inside. 

“Were you just talking to fifth graders?” one kid asked with awe.

“Yeah” Harry said with a shrug. “I just asked them not to pick on my little sister. They’re really reasonable when you know how to talk to them.”

For some time after that, Harry had the respect of his classmates. Even better, his sisters were left alone. As the year went on, his mother continued to house search. It was right after Christmas that their mother took them out to a nice restaurant with some news.

“I closed on a house!” 

Harry tilted his head. 

“We’re buying a new house, Harry,” Lily said. 

“Oh!” Harry said. “Where is it” Lily took a deep breath.

“It's...in Virginia” She said Harry frowned.

“That means I have to go to a new school.”

“I’m sorry. It’s in a wizard neighborhood, like Godric’s Hollow” She said. “You’ll be able to play with other wizards” 

Harry nodded picking at his food. “That’s...uh that’s nice” he said 

“You’ll learn to like it,” Auntie Marigold said. Harry just hummed and continued eating his food. Once he was alone in his room he vented his anger by kicking something. It wasn’t fair. He was just getting used to life here! The next day he broke the news to his classmates. 

“You just got here though” one of them pouted. 

“I know,” Harry sighed. The rest of the year passed and after school ended, the moving truck arrived and the family was packing up to go. 

“You can always send them over by Floo” Auntie Marigold said, hugging Harry goodbye. 

“Thank you so much,” Lily said, hugging Auntie Marigold.

“It’s no problem dear. We’re family” Harry got in the car and as they drove away he watched the house and the trees pass. The trip to Virginia was hours long and it was nightfall before they pulled into a very nice looking neighborhood with gates

“OOoooh It’s fancy!” Hazel pressed her face up against the window staring at the passing houses in the golf-course neighborhood in awe. 

“This looks...really pricey” Harry said, feeling a bit concerned. 

“Don’t worry about that love. We’re fine” Lily said. 

They pulled into the driveway of a house in the Cul-De-Sac, surrounded by trees. For the first time in months, Harry’s resistance to the whole moving thing eased away. He walked in the house, on the elegant tile and looked around. The house was huge, even compared to their house at Godric’s Hollow. 

“Go on, go pick your rooms” Lily urged them. The twins got a head start before Harry, rushing up the stairs. He followed taking in the loft at the top of the staircase. 

“HAZEL! Come check this out” Holly exclaimed . “This room is huge!” 

As Hazel went to find Holly, Harry walked down a hallway to a room that overlooked the backyard. It felt so big for a bedroom. He set his luggage down. This room would be his.

For the first night , everyone slept in sleeping bags in the loft. The next day was spent moving everything into the house. For the following weeks they slowly unpacked everything, til the house started looking more like a home. Harry spent afternoons walking around the neighborhood. One afternoon his mother took him and his sisters to a large department store called Wiz-Mart. It was _massive_.

“How do muggles not notice this?” Harry asked. 

“Muggle repelling charms” Lily said, pushing a cart around the store as Holly hung off the side. “Holly, love be careful.” They stocked up on things for the house, until Holly and Hazel dragged them to the toy section. High shelves were filled with all manners of toys. One one display were bicycles and shelves lined with broomsticks and hoverboards. Harry ran a hand over one broomstick with a sturdy black plastic handle and soft brush like bristles in bright colors on the end. 

He was almost ten and had long since outgrown his toy broomstick. 

“Harry look!” Hazel pointed to a hot pink monstrosity of a broom with pink dipped bristles and a plastic glittering handle. 

“Eurgh” Harry said. “No thanks”

“I agree with Harry,” Holly said, making a face at the broom. She went over to a purple and black model, with handle grips. Harry moved on toward a more natural looking redwood handle broom with red and orange bristles, advertised as the Fireblaze 500 

“Why don’t you put it on your birthday list?” Lily said. 

“Yeah..” Harry said thoughtfully. “Allright.” 

By the time they left they had two carts worth of things to fill the house with, as well as getting swimsuits for the three of them. Shortly after they visited the muggle Walmart , which Harry was certain that Wizmart was based after. 

Sometime in mid July, Lily took them to the neighborhood pool. There were a fair amount of people there. As Harry dried himself off by where his mother sat reading, another woman looked over. She was a slightly athletic almost heavyset looking woman with brown hair in a ponytail.

“Aren’t you the new family who moved in?” She asked. 

Lily looked up from her book. “Oh, yes. Hello” 

“Welcome to the neighborhood!” The woman said, pulling herself up. She extended a hand to them. “My name’s Ellie Foster.” 

“Hello. I’m Lily Evans, this is my son Harry” Harry nodded to her as Ellie looked over to the pool toward a boy who was running across the slick patio surface. 

“Max, I told you not to run here” The boy skidded to a stop. He was about two years younger than Harry with short spiky hair that was almost a white blond, and freckles all over his face. To Harry he looked like he was about to spontaneously combust from the effort of staying still. 

“Sorry ma!” 

“That’s my oldest.” She said with a chuckle. After a moment Harry realized why she seemed to take a lot of effort to get up. She appeared to be mildly pregnant. “The girls are somewhere around here” Harry returned to the pool to swim a bit more as his mother and Mrs. Foster continued talking. As they all got up to leave, two girls with sunny blonde hair crowded around Mrs.Foster. 

They walked out of the pool complex once Holly and Hazel joined them and parted ways when they got to the Cul-De-Sac. The Fosters seemed to live a couple houses down. 

Shortly after that they were invited to get together at the Fosters’ house. Harry helped his mother prepare a dish to bring to their house. As they approached the house, Harry couldn’t help but notice it was huge. Ellie greeted them with one of the two girls at her side. 

“Oooh thank you!” Mrs. Foster said. “I didn’t even think to ask!”

“It was no trouble,” Lily said as they walked in. They walked in as man who was quite noticeably older than Mrs. Foster with slightly graying spiky hair, platinum blonde like his son, and with slim glasses wearing a tanktop and sweatpants walked in. He gave a crooked grin

“Oh hello there” He spoke in an accent that Harry vaguely recognized as not American but not exactly British either. 

“Oh hello”

“Temp….are you seriously wearing that?” Mrs. Foster said amused. 

He rolled his eyes. “Well if you had told me it was today,” 

She laughed. “This is my husband, Templeto-”

“General Foster” The man said quickly, extending a hand. Lily took it hesitantly. 

“Nice to meet you, General,” she said. “You served in the military then?

“A bit.. Wizarding forces” he said.

“Are you from England like us?” Hazel asked

“Not quite.” General Foster said. “Grew up in Australia” Ah. That’s what it was.

“Harry why don’t you take the girls and play outside?” Lily said. Harry nodded as he spotted Max twirling a Quadball in his hands. 

“Max, take that outside!” General Foster barked at his son. As Harry followed them outside the ball exploded and Max waved steam away coughing.

“Oops” he said with a mischievous grin. “Come on lemme show you my broom!” He led them to a shed out back where he pulled out a black and blue plastic broomstick that looked a bit big for him. There was a large trampoline in the yard as well as some sports equipment. They all wound up jumping on the trampoline as Max showed off his tricks. Harry realized quickly that he had been quite correct in his first impression of the boy. He was always moving. Sometimes a bit rough with his sisters and loved to show off. 

Mrs. Foster called them in to eat as Max landed on the ground next to the trampoline.   
  
“Maximillian Foster! What did I tell you about that?” 

“I'm fine, Ma” Max said, getting up. Mrs. Foster shook her head and walked back into the house. Harry followed the others in. 

As they ate, a television nearby was playing a Quidditch game. 

“Is that even allowed?” Harry asked.

“Course. It’s a wizard TV” Max said, “Duh”

“Don’t be rude.” Candy, one of the younger girls poked him. “Booger brain.” 

“Oh..” Harry said as Max pulled his sister’s head over and messed her hair. 

“Max!” Both his parents reprimanded him. 

Harry ate his burger stealing glimpses of the TV. After one particular play from the Texas Shooting Stars, General Foster cursed loudly. 

“Templeton” His wife hissed nodding pointedly towards the kids. Mrs. Foster and Lily talked about magic schools in the area. 

“I went to Triangle State.” Harry overheard Mrs. Foster telling his mother. “It’s a solid school, teaches the basics. Temp went to military school of course, and he’s dead set on sending Max to one here” 

“Military school?” Lily asked. “Aren’t they a bit...harsh?”

“They’re exactly what he needs,” General Foster said, tearing his eyes away from the TV. “Structure and discipline. My father was a right bastard-”

“ _Temp_ ”

“But he at least knew the value of a good boot camp.” 

“I see” Harry could tell that his mother wasn’t sure she liked her new friends’ husband very much. 

Still during the summer, they saw the Fosters from time to time. Harry was rather surprised when his mother agreed to let them watch him and his sisters when she was going out. 

“Keep an eye on Holly and Hazel will you?” Lily asked. Harry wanted to ask where she was going but never got the chance before they were dropped off. Mrs. Foster served them dinner, some kind of hamburger pasta and macaroni and cheese while she and her husband shared a steak. 

“Do you still work for the army?” Holly asked, fascinated.

“No. I retired early” General Foster said after taking a bite. 

“Can I have seconds?” Max asked, finishing his plate.

“No, you’re fine” Mrs. Foster said. 

“Can I have dessert?”

“ _You’re fine_ ,” General Foster said sharply. 

Max made a face but didn’t argue. Once they finished dinner, the girls begged their mother to put a movie in. 

“Show them a WizDisney movie!!” Callie said. 

“Wiz….Disney?” Holly asked. Harry had heard of Disney movies from his classmates. 

“Yeah it’s like Disney movies but for wizards and witches!” Candy said. “They’re about Princesses and heroes and stuff!”

Mrs. Foster made her way over to the movie cabinet looking through the movies as Candy and Callie argued over whether they should watch “The Little Ash Witch” or “Fair Fortune Fountain” 

“Nah we should watch The Hairy Heart” Max said with a grin.

“Nuh uh! Thats scary!” Candy said. 

“That’s why it's so cool!” Max said tapping his sister on the head. 

“Booger Brain!” Candy squealed covering her head. They wound up settling on The Hopping Pot, a movie about a wizard who didn’t want to help the village muggles being hounded by a magical pot that hopped on one foot. 

Harry was fascinated, not by the rather childish story, but by the notion of animated movies for wizards. After Hopping Pot was done, they put in Fair Fortune Fountain before Mrs.. Foster and her husband went to bed. They just got to the end of the movie when their mother came by to pick them up. 

July came to an end fairly quickly and Harry celebrated his tenth birthday. His heart soared when he saw a long wrapped present on the table. The birthday party was enjoyable and sure enough he opened the long present, it was the Fireblaze. After that Harry took the time he had left of his summer vacation to fly as much as he could. On a Friday, before the start of school, his mother took him and his sisters to Ellis Creek, a day school for wizards for Open House. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok this chapter was edited because I realized I made a math error.
> 
> In the chapter where Harry confronts his sister's bullies he originally says she's "not even six years old" but then I realized I made a few errors . Considering how the American school system works she wouldn't be almost 6 in first grade. She'd be in kindergarten and about to turn six. 
> 
> My bad .numbers confuse me


End file.
